Travel and Nostalgia

gabolicious says on Nov 13, 2007, 18:30:

"How normal is this?" pretty normal my friend trust me....

"What were the first months like?" first months suck cause you are struggling with your thoughts your memories... but "Overall, how would you rate your experience? " wonderful... you will find your way my friend... have faith in the decision you have made and pa'lante mijo... p'alante.....

Elección no canonización....

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Lisa Zee says on Nov 13, 2007, 18:54:

I can't wait to hear from others, I have been struggling for years with the idea of leaving everything and going back to live in Colombia, but I get the great fear to feel what you are feeling or experiencing now! I was born and raised in Medellin, but I feel like a foreigner when I am there.
Good luck to you.

Feliz Navidad!

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Gator says on Nov 13, 2007, 19:10:

Common problem but after about two years it all starts to come together. YOU MUST ADOPT THE CULTURE!!

I would never return to the USA, except to visit, but once you embrace Colombian customs and become fluent in the language and make friends it will all come together. Most important. DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL THINGS. COLOMBIA IS COLOMBIA AND YOU WON'T CHANGE THAT.

As an aside growing up and living in south Florida was a big help-at least I knew the swear words, wink wink. I

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

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Medellin Traveler says on Nov 13, 2007, 19:50:

wjp0108 -

Would you care to give out more info on your day-to-day activites? Are you attending Spanish classes? Volunteering anywhere? Are you renting or did you buy an apartamento?

What is it that keeps changing your mind on a daily basis? Homesick, miss family and friends? Are you bored? Feel like you don't fit in Medellin?

Hang in there. You're past the hardest part, you made the move.

And don't forget, the United States is not going anywhere. You can always come back whenever you want. Just take it easy, enjoy your good fortune and take advantage of your situation. I know I would love to trade places with you. As would so many others on PBH.

Great post!

"Huevos Rancheros en Medellin, No Quiero Taco Bell." - www.medellintraveler.com

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Robert Jorge says on Nov 13, 2007, 20:49:

I agree with Medellin Traveler - great post.

I only lived in Colombia for several months, nothing compared to years or the rest of my life, but I got just a wee bit homesick. The things I missed included: AC, my motorcycle, and the conveniences of easy banking, utilities, etc in the US. But, the things I liked FAR outweighed anything I missed. All I can say is when I had to come back to the US, I missed Colombia a lot more than I ever missed the US when I was in Colombia. And the withdrawal started immediately when I got back to the US. We will be making the move back to Colombia someday - and I hope it is soon.

He who farts in church, sits in his own pew.

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r3d3 says on Nov 13, 2007, 21:48:

Why not six months in each country?

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john_stark says on Nov 13, 2007, 21:51:

Go back home, dude. You don't belong there.

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christobeldawg says on Nov 13, 2007, 21:55:

that is what I am considering, because of these issues, the idea of living in both countries. of course, it would help if I was financially able to do that easily. Can you do that? Feeling free is the key, I would think.

admittedly, arriving can feel great too

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scotty says on Nov 13, 2007, 21:55:

r3d3 has the right idea if you have the time and money.

Get Rhythm, when you got the blues. Johnny Cash

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Lisa Zee says on Nov 13, 2007, 22:34:

You were born in Colombia, how old were you when you left?
Do you have your family in Colombia?

Feliz Navidad!

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chrispej says on Nov 13, 2007, 22:55:

Colombia is not for everyone. Changing ones environment is not easy either. If Colombia doesn't feel like home or you do not feel like you belong, maybe you need to move on. There are many places in the world.

Home is where the heart is and for us guys, our heart is where the right woman makes us feel like home. (Are you ladies reading this?)

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dwmte7 says on Nov 14, 2007, 04:58:

although i had spent the better part of my adult life working abroad, settling down and living in a place on a permanent basis, got to me. back in those days i had the money to go back and forth to ease the boredom. on more than one occassion, i flew back for no more than the weekend just to ease the tensions which gripped me. too, back in the 80's, medellin was one truly intense place. there were bombings and killings daily, actually, all day long. i saw folks shot right in front of me. but when i would go back stateside, i would no more than get there, and i wanted to go back. you figure.

it was easy in those early days to meld into the culture, as there were NO foreigners, anywhere to hang with and ease the boredom, fear, homesickness, etc. so, i was without options...i learned spanish and by virtue of necessity, grew into/adopted the culture and before i knew it, i was, as much as a foreigner could be, colombian.

that was 19 years ago and now, married to a colombian, having a home there and family, and countless wonderful REAL friends, it's home. we have to stay stateside now and only get to go back intermittently, because of educational issues surrounding our youngest...born in medellin. just don't want her studying there. but it's still home.

if your heart feels right there, just hang on and the pain of being away from family, friends, familiar surroundings, etc, slowly fade to insignificance. they don't go away, but they become manageable. you'll know if it's for you, when you go back stateside and find yourself wishing you were back in medallo. hang in there and good luck.

one thing that proved helpful to me, was getting out of the hubbub of medellin and exploring the surroundings--for me, up country in llano grande--then you'll develop non city friends which prove invaluable in helping you settle in. there's a big difference in the folks outside the city and those living in the city. the city, no matter where you are in the world, is a concrete jungle. imagine growing up anywhere and only having asphalt or cement below your feet. it ain't natural. but the smell of cowshit and mud on your shoes makes a real difference in how you relate to a place. hang in there and good luck.

dwmte

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elk says on Nov 14, 2007, 12:30:

Cultural Shock is normal

I made the move to Costa Rica in 1992 ...with same problems of adjusting to the culture.
I then tried Panama for three years, but after making two visits to Medellin found it to be much better than any Central American country.

It takes time to adjust, at least two years in my opinion. I prefer the southern part of Medellin too Poblado, but it all depends on your interests.

My reasons for living in Medellin:

The weather
The people and good friends
The slow pace
The excellent medical care
The lower cost of living
The ability to ride my motorcycle in the country area when I feel the need escape the city
The shopping. Much better than any other Central American country
The lack of police corruption compared to other Latin countries
The ability to walk and great transportation system in Medellin.

But as dwmte states.....GOOD COLOMBIAN FRIENDS! which include a few Gringo's
in my case. Thanks Douglas for helping me find my way around Medellin.

I have no desire to return to the U.S. My home has been in Latin America for several years
now and I get home sick for Colombia after about a week in the U.S.

I have lived here in Medellin since July 2006 and still have a lot of exploring to do....Every day seems to be better than the last.

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francis says on Nov 14, 2007, 16:14:

In August 2005 my husband and I decided to leave everything behind in the U.S. and try our luck in Colombia. We were a little bored of the U.S. lifestyle which is pretty much consumed by work and very little time is left for friends and family even if they live in the same city. Before leaving the US we had saved up some many so that we would have something to fall back on in case nothing came out of our venture in Colombia. We tried starting a small business and since I am a massage therapist I also started working on clients and friends. But nothing really came out of that we still had to tap into our savings to pay for our basic needs like housing, food, entertainment, etc. We spent a total of 18 months in Bogota during which time I found out I was pregnant and ended up having my daughter there. It was the best 18 months of my life. The life in Colombia if you have the financial means is 100 times better than life in the U.S. (This is my personal opinion). You always manage to make time for friends and family. They just show up to your doorstep to say hello and have some onces. Despite how much I love Colombia I always had the U.S. in the back of my head. I did not have many friends in Colombia and all of my family lives in the U.S. I am Mexican American and my husband is Colombian. I missed my friends, family and Mexican food. I was never able to find good authentic mexican food in Bogota except for La Casa Mexicana which has a store that offers Mexican products. After 18 months we had to return to the U.S. because our small business did not grow fast enough to keep up with our expenses and our savings account balance would get smaller and smaller. We had to return to the real world of working and starting all over again. We went back to San Francisco, CA and two weeks after we arrived both my husband and I had found jobs and a place to live. It would have been very hard to do that in Colombia we were lucky we had a savings account and family. Despite the fact that our venture in Colombia was not as easy as we expected it to be we would still like to try it again in a couple of years. We know what the reality in Colombia is now that we have lived there. This time we will go with a bigger bank account and with a business that has already taken off so that we are certain we have something to fall back on. Although I love Bogota I do not miss the way people drive, traffic and the long lines at the bank when you go pay your bills.

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Chriscan says on Nov 14, 2007, 16:36:

I haven´t made many moves in my life and when I do, it takes 2 years for me to feel at home.

I personaly could not spend a full year here because I love the winter in Canada too much. Lucky for me it is when I can make the best money too.

If I lived in Colombia permanent, I know that I would miss the changing seasons the most. None of them seem to last long and each brings new prospects.

************* WARNING ************* my words often come from my ass. www.independentbanff.com

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Lowell says on Nov 14, 2007, 16:51:

I've been away from the States now for almost 5 years. Most of my immediate family have passed away. So, I didn’t have any miss the family issues. My sportsman career was finished. I needed a new venue.

My first place of residence was Panama. I did 2 years in the highlands of Boquete and a little over a year in Panama City. I’ve now been in Colombia for a little over 2 years.

Even with few ties to the States, it was easy to remember the good old days so to speak. The more years you are away from the States the more your contacts drift away. I’m now down to about 5 people. But, I’ve also drifted away. Nowadays, I think less and less of my days in the States.

Sure, there will always be things missed. I do remind myself that I left because of the changes I was observing in the public. I’ve learned by experience, that you can go back to someplace but it will have changed. Here, it seems like I’ve been able to recapture what my surroundings were like when I was a young boy.

I’ve embraced my new life and new family totally. Learning to let things roll off my back has helped. The frustrations I experience here are now expected and have little to no effect on my mood.

Time heals all......

Alfred E. Newman. "What. Me Worry?"

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gatogris says on Nov 14, 2007, 17:18:

Some think that the life of the ex-pat or the repatriated would be incomplete without nostalgia - a wistful yearning, not entirely without sweetness. Proust felt that life would be missing something without attachments to the past, even the somewhat painful ones, and that the truest home one has exists only in memories. I know I suffered painful nostalgia for Colombia when I returned to Canada, and that at least part of this emotion was woven from fantasy, like all memories.

But that's not very helpful. I would suggest the typical response - moderation. A little yearning is not so bad, and can even be inspiring if you are a journal or a letter writer, but if you find yourself spending the better part of the day mooning after a time and place or a culture far away, than distract yourself with some of the excellent material at hand in Medellin.

Work, ron, business, love, pleasure, futbol, music, etc.

Like the man said, fake it long enough, and you'll make it just fine.

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Gator says on Nov 14, 2007, 19:09:

Lowell, VERY well said, amigo.

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

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dwmte7 says on Nov 15, 2007, 04:53:

i read a book one time, "you can't go home again" by thomas wolfe. i think it was written sometime in the 30's or 40's. the author could spend pages just going into the tinyest details about anything. like a baseball player coming up to bat...4-5 pages. whew.

what came through was just what we've covered here. where is home? it's an old, often used addage--where the heart is--but most applicable. sure, home for me was the farm in central california. but truth be told, when i left the farm a light year ago and entered the army and later the university, i told myself i was never going back to the farm. i didn't. however, i was taken out of the country, but the country was never taken out of me. now, 'the country' is colombia (not in the cities, medellin, etc.) in the fincas. when i'm there, i do miss the children, but i miss them just being in florida. they're busy with their lives and i'm just 'dad' who's there when they need him. it's the same when we're in our home in colombia, 'dad's' there, just a phone call away.

home sweet home. where my wife and youngest daughter are. we, technically make up the family. we're a bit in exile, while laura attends her studies, but our inner hearts are in colombia. it's funny how things change. my grandfolks lived well into their 90's and never left their farm. you figure. after univ. i spent the next 25-30 years working all over the world; grandfather never left oklahoma. ???

dwmte

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aztec says on Nov 15, 2007, 05:07:

My wife and I can afford to live half a year in each country. There are economic and personal/safety reasons for this decision.

If you have resources you better provide for an escape when the extortionist come calling. Another reason related to economics is that your pension/income becomes taxable by the Colombian Government if you stay more than six months. After five years it becomes more dicey.

Weighed against these difficulties are all those positives Colombia offers. They are too many to list here! We are fortunate to have the best of both worlds.

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elk says on Nov 16, 2007, 13:19:

Aztec:

We covered the subject of tax on a foreign Pension. Perhaps you missed the thread.

A foreign pension isn't taxable in Colombia regards of the time spent in Colombia.

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elk says on Nov 16, 2007, 13:23:

Pensionado Income tax and general tax information.

By

Esteban R.
Colombian lawyer
Email: lawyerscolombia at yahoo.com


This is a short response to the questions regarding tax of foreign pensions and other income while residing in Colombia. I contacted DIAN which is equivalent to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service for answers to these questions. The following information is current as of 7 April 2007

Definitions:

Residency: For tax purpose, an individual is considered a resident of Colombia when has been living in Colombia for at least six months, which can be continuous or discontinuous.

Income Tax: Foreign citizens are obligated to pay income tax on income derived from a national source. Example: They work for a company here in Colombia and receive a salary.

Question 1: When is a foreign citizen required to pay taxes?

According to Colombian law foreign residents are required to pay tax on worldwide income after five years of residency in Colombia be it continuous or discontinuous residency. Certain types of income whose source is in Colombia, are however excluded and they must be pay since the first day the foreign citizen has the residence ( see tax definition).

Exclusions:

A Social security benefit from a foreign government would be exempt from Colombian tax.

All non-national pensions of less than $10,000 dollars per month are exempt.


In conclusion, you must pay income tax on all foreign income after five years of residency in Colombia, but not all that income will be taxable. You should consult your accountant for specific information.

Again, foreign pensions are not considered taxable income in Colombia unless they exceed $10,000 per month. I have asked DIAN to provide written documentation to cover the above questions and DIAN’s legal opinion in the matter.

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elk says on Nov 16, 2007, 13:25:

Most U.S. pensions don't exceed $10,000 dollars per month at least in my case

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